It is untenable, mischievous to blame NPP leadership for Oquaye's defeat – NPP General Secretary

The leadership of the ruling New Patriotic Party says it cannot be blamed for the defeat of its nominee, Prof. Aaron Mike Oquaye, in Ghana’s 8th Parliament Speakership race.

Following the defeat suffered by the party’s candidate in the Thursday, January 7, morning election, some party members including a Member of Parliament blamed the leadership of the NPP.

But in a statement signed by the Press Secretary to the General Secretary, the leadership of the NPP said “it would not only be untenable but also highly mischievous for anyone to seek to blame the executives for the unfortunate turn of events” considering the efforts that leadership put into ensuring the election of its candidate.

According to the statement, the reported absence of party leadership in parliament on the day of the election as said by one of its MPs cannot be true.

“It is not true that no national executive of the NPP was present in Parliament at that special sitting to elect a Speaker. Indeed, the General Secretary of the party, John Boadu, representing the national party, spent the whole night in Parliament keenly observing proceedings and communicating with members and leadership of the NPP Majority Caucus on critical matters that were before them.

Not only that, John Boadu as a key stakeholder in the matters that were before the august house was invited to participate in the background negotiations involving the leadership of both sides during the deadlock, whereupon he played an instrumental role in getting the NDC side to agree to support the NPP’s proposal to have Joe Osei Owusu and Amoako Asiamah elected on consensus, as First and Second Deputy Speakers respectively,” the statement said.